Chapter Text
“Sorcerer! Magic! He has magic!”
“Arthur! Arthur wake up! Please..."
Arthur was fading in and out but the last few things he could comprehend were these before he fell unconscious.
“Merlin. Where is Merlin?” Arthur jumped awake and began seeking for his friend.
They were out hunting without the knights, or some may call “on a date”, just the two of them when a gang of bandits attacked them. They weren’t prepared for it and most definitely outnumbered yet the two of them fought fiercely.
There was always a thing about Merlin, he was never good with a sword yet he managed to always be unharmed in dangerous situations, like this.
However, this time he got careless and received a stab wound in his chest. “ARTHUR!” Merlin shouted as he ran up to him. Arthur didn’t know what had happened exactly but the bandits fled, leaving just the two of them alone.
“Arthur….No. No! Don’t close your eyes and look at me!” He laid in Merlin’s arms and he has never felt this much comfort before. Even in death…He found peace with Merlin.
“Merlin promise me that you take care of yourself…Make sure Camelot is cared for.” Arthur pleaded but knowing Merlin, he could trust him with anything without needing to say it.
“Shut up Arthur. You are not going to die…This I will promise you. Protect Camelot yourself clotpole.” He hissed and placed both his palms over the wound as he whispered incoherently but Arthur was too exhausted to pursue.
And that was the last he remembered.
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- Arthur’s POV -
“Arthur, you don’t remember anything?” Leon asked as he glanced around the room, the other knights were doing the same which made me suspicious.
As I slowly got up from my bed, I suddenly felt something amiss…My wound. It doesn’t hurt…It was as though I never got stabbed at all. What the hell is going on?
“Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on? Lancelot, why are you avoiding my eyes?!” The silence was killing me and when no one was speaking, it made me angrier.
“He's in the dungeons.” Lancelot finally spoke and it took me by surprise. “Why is Merlin in the dungeons? What happened?”
“When the guards found you two in the woods, they caught him using magic. Magic to heal you Arthur, if not you would already be dead.”
Magic… That sinful word rang through my head. I never knew there would be a day when I would hear ‘Merlin’ and ‘Magic’ together in the same sentence.
Sorcerer! Magic! He has magic! I recalled. “That’s not possible…Merlin does not have magic! I would know….He-” I was in denial that the person I trusted the most, the person I called friend would betray me like this…
He knew magic is illegal in Camelot yet he still practiced it anyways.
"You knew…?” I saw the expression Lancelot was carrying and instantly knew that he wasn’t surprised by the news of Merlin having magic.
He slowly nodded his head, “The moment I arrived at Camelot Arthur…..Remember when I fought the Griffin, but I only managed to kill it with the help of Merlin. He enchanted my spear and it was the only reason why I managed to defeat it.” He explained and it felt as though a bucket of ice cold water was dumped over my head.
How could I have not realized Merlin’s magic when I am the only one who was spending every day and almost every single second with Merlin!
“Who else has lied to me huh?” I let out a sigh of defeat as I looked around the room, at each and every one of my knights to see if anyone else had the same guilty expression. “I had my suspicions but never really confirmed it until today.” Gwaine stated.
HOW COULD I BE SUCH AN IDIOT TO NOT NOTICE!
Even Gwaine who had only known Merlin for less than a year figured it out. “Sire…Only Lancelot and Gaius knew. We only found out about it today.” Leon stated.
“Forget it. Bring him to my chambers, I want to see him.” I ordered but none of them moved from their positions. “We can’t. Your father has ordered Merlin to be locked up and no one is allowed to bring him out of his cell until….” Leon paused and looked very reluctant to finish his sentence.
“Until what?” I prompted desperately.
“Until his execution...Yesterday he was sentenced to burn on the stake by your father.” Gwaine finished and I felt my heart beat faster than the last time I fought in a tournament.
“Arthur please…As much as Merlin has lied to us, he is still Merlin. He saved your life…In fact, he has saved us all countless times! He is not evil! I swear on my honour and my life. Please Arthur, only you can persuade your father to change Merlin’s punishment.” Lancelot fell onto his knees as he pleaded for Merlin’s life.
“Me too princess. I trust Merlin and I don’t want to watch a friend die.” Gwaine kneeled behind him and slowly the others followed suit.
“So do I sire so please help Merlin.” Leon was the last. I knew how much they adored Merlin and treated him more than just a servant, a friend, someone they should protect. Deep down, so did I…
“I’ll see Merlin first.” I said and made my way to the dungeons.
Dungeon was as disgusting as I recalled yet I found Merlin seated on the cold hard floor with his back against the wall.
“Merlin.” I called out and he instantly ran up to the metal bars and that was when I could finally see his face clearly under the dim lights. “You are alright?” He exclaimed and looked so happy despite his situation. “They took me away before I could make sure you were alright…Did your wound heal properly?” He questioned but I got mad with him, “Can you worry about yourself first! Merlin, please you are clearly getting your priorities wrong. To answer your question, yes I am alright. I was able to walk down here on my own.”
“I thought I knew you. Guess I was wrong….You lied to me all this time.” I started as the silence was too painful to bear, and he turned away from me instantly, “But I am still the old Merlin! With or without magic. I’m sorry Arthur, I never meant to hide my magic from you.”
“So when were you planning on telling me? Lancelot and Giaus knew...Gwaine had a hunch.” I questioned.
“There were so many times that I wanted to tell you Arthur…You don’t know it. But I couldn’t bring myself to.” Merlin answered and I could feel a mix of anger and sadness well up inside of me.
“Why?” My voice softened along with my heart as I sat down in front of him. I wish I could bring him out of his cell to speak with him properly but I didn’t have the power to overwrite my father’s.
“Well, I guess I didn’t want you to ever be in the position to choose between your father and I.” He stated with a soft smile and I felt the remaining anger I had for him extinguish and be replaced by something else...It felt like love.
“You weren’t worried that you would burn but worried that I would be caught in the middle?” I looked at this foolish man in disbelief, he is really still the Merlin I knew, with or without magic.
He is my best friend.
“You idiot! You shouldn’t have openly used your magic to save me!” I complained but was almost immediately rebutted by him, “You would have died clotpole! A thank you would have sufficed.”
“I couldn’t let you die Arthur…I couldn’t bear to lose you! Especially when I had the ability to save you. Camelot needs you!”
“But…Merlin I’m going to lose you. And it is all because of me.” I’ve never felt so utterly hopeless and useless knowing that he is going to die in a few hours but I have yet to find a solution.
“Your people need you Arthur, it is alright. If anything was going to happen to you, I will always make the same decision, even if it means risking my life in order to save yours. Arthur I would take your place in death with no hesitation. I will do it over and over again.”
Merlin’s words stirred a strong avalanche of emotions in me as I broke down into tears, “But I need you.”
We stayed silent as I rested my forehead against the cold metal bars, trying my best to be as close as I could.
He reached out his hand and rested it on my chest for a few seconds before I caught a glimpse of his blue eyes flashed a starry gold then I felt my chest warm. “It has healed pretty well, shouldn’t leave a scar.” He whispered and I grabbed hold of his hand firmly. Refusing to let go because this is the first time I ever held his hand…And it is about to be our last.
“Arthur, please just listen. What’s done cannot be changed, you are alive that is all that matters now. We both know that you cannot change your father’s mind especially when it comes to sorcerers and I do not blame you for anything. Please just live on…” He moved his hand up to cup my cheek as he wiped the tears rolling down my face.
I could still remember the last time I cried was when I was mature enough to realize my mother had died. Again, I am crying over the thought of losing my best friend forever.
“Merlin you are my best friend and I think I’ve lov-”
“NO. Arthur, stop! I…Please don’t say anything anymore.” He cut me off abruptly and removed his hand from mine then leaned away from the bars. I stared at him quietly, unsure why he wouldn’t let me say it to him. I wish to confess my feelings that I’ve kept hidden for so long before he's…gone.
“Just maybe…"
"Maybe in another life where you are not the prince and if we met in better circumstances we could be something.” He walked away from me and into the darkness of his cell as those words imprinted itself into my heart. I’m not losing Merlin, not like this.
“Merlin, I’ll find a way to free you. By any means, I will free you! You will not die, I promise you that.” I got up and without wasting another second, I ran back upstairs to find my father.
It was a long shot but I have to still try and convince my father to free Merlin.
- End of Arthur’s POV -
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